I'm not seeing signs that the open category is evening out... yet.

What i am seeing though is that the intermediate categories are strongly dominated by people, mostly young but too old for the youth track, who are trained in a more mature school of thought, which takes advantage of their youth more for its enthusiam and free time than its athletic potential. I think this group is likely to have a far greater longetivity in the dance community than the olympic-athlete crowd, because they will be more able to continue making progress as they age.

A well rounded community of highly skilled dancers, even if a level down from the top can still create an influence on the top level, by keeping an alternative look in the eye of both public and judges - and by giving the judges something they don't alway have today: a viable alternative to mark whenever they get tired of juvenile antics.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It's a beam of hope to me as an older person.

There is one big "if" though.

Ballroom will only re-achieve balance if the non-youth competitors manage to cultivate a personal, and ultimately collective, immunity to hype. Older competitors who waste time drooling over (or worse, attempting to immitate) the capabilities of young athletes will not be the ones who make progress on more sustainable dance skills.

Laura: I respect your opinion however, I dont agree. If the young dont get involved the sport will wither. If the older folks choose to butt out, they have that choice. Also, there is the age divisions in which they can compete. Owen

"If the young dont get involved the sport will wither."

There's two different things going on, which we shouldn't confuse.

On the one hand, there are small eltist efforts to train a handfull of athletic young dancers. This is getting a lot of press in top (or near-top) divisions, but it's "you're nobody if you don't start by 15" message is perhaps one of the most harmfull things that has ever happened to ballroom.

On the other hand, there are collegiate type programs involving large numbers of relatively "average" students and younger adults, in a more sustainable and non-elitist approach to ballroom. Also some similar broad based youth programs that are more about participation than cutthrough competition. These are one of the more positive things to happen as they promise a future pool of involved adults at all age levels.

Instead of arguing around and around in circles go to a country that produces a multitude of young dancers and copy. I'm talking about Russia. If you look at the results in Europe you will see what I mean. For one thing how do they manage to send such a hugh team to the German Championship . This involes housing, feeding, chaperoning travel and so on.

It could be, a permanent trend, but if it is I think ballroom will loose a lot of its traditional ideas.

Instead, I'm hoping that the trend slows to the point where there is a wider distribution of ages in the open elgibility category. And renewed interest on some of the dance qualities that typical come from long experience - the things that the kids overlook in trying to be fast and flashy.

The best age for starting to dance is --- the age you are today! Go for it and enjoy!

Ellen: Hooray for you !!. Have the mindset to do what you want to do today for tomorrow is too late. Let the young have their day and then learn from them for they are the fruits of our labors, they are the freshest fruit on the tree.Plant the seed (Teach them the basics) water them along the way, watch them grow, be proud they kick your butts,humble them by asking them for help. Owen

In another place I pointed out that in my country in a competition over 50% of the field are over 35. This is if you count Juvenile Junior, Youth and Adult as one. The good thing that could come out of this is that the Seniors will create a flow on, and encourage their grandchildren to take up the sport. And who knows they may compete.In my humble opinion this needs to be looked at and in some way encouraged. I only wish those at the top would get off their behinds and do something positive.